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Newest Dr Pepper StarCenter Announced

by
Dallas Stars Staff
/ Dallas Stars

DALLAS STARS ANNOUNCE NEWESTDR PEPPER STARCENTER AT CRAIG RANCH IN McKINNEYNew Rink is Scheduled to Open this October

March 18, 2009 -- The Dallas Stars and Hicks Sports Marketing Group (HSMG) announced today that the newest Dr Pepper StarCenter ice arena will be built at Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. The Dr Pepper StarCenter McKinney at Craig Ranch will be built on 7.3 acres of land in southwest McKinney. It is scheduled to open in October, 2009.

This new ice facility will mark the eighth Dr Pepper StarCenter in the Metroplex, utilized for youth and adult hockey, and general ice skating for the public. The project is a partnership between the Dallas Stars, the City of McKinney, the McKinney Community Development Corporation and Craig Ranch. Additionally, Dr Pepper will be the primary sponsor of the facility, expanding on its commitment to the growth of quality sports in the Metroplex.

“We are proud of our longstanding partnership with the Dallas Stars on Dr Pepper StarCenters. For 15 years, these facilities have fueled the burgeoning popularity of hockey and figure skating in North Texas and provided a tremendous recreational outlet for the area. The new center in McKinney will build on that great legacy and serve a fast-growing community,” said Gene Honermann, regional vice president, North Texas and Oklahoma, for Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

An official groundbreaking ceremony for the Dr Pepper StarCenter McKinney at Craig Ranch will be held this Friday, March 20, 2009.

“We are very excited about this newest Dr Pepper StarCenter coming to McKinney and Craig Ranch,” said Randy Locey, executive vice president of business operations for the Dallas Stars. “It will be a beautiful complex and a perfect addition to the Craig Ranch community.”

The new facility will have two sheets of ice, a full-service StarStuff pro shop, a snack bar, and four party/meeting rooms. The StarCenter will be the home to two hockey associations -- the McKinney Ice Hockey Club which fields teams in the AT&T High School Hockey League, as well as other leagues; and the Texas Aces, which fields travel teams of all ages in the North Texas Hockey League. The facility will also feature beginner leagues for youth and adult hockey players run by the Dallas Stars, advanced adult hockey leagues, a Learn-to-Skate program, figure skating, birthday parties, public skating, corporate team building events, private ice rentals, camps, clinics, tournaments, and skating competitions.

McKinney residents will have the ability to sign up for some programs in advance of the general public and the facility will also offer annual skating and hockey scholarships to young residents of McKinney. It is expected that the facility will bring in 600,000 to 700,000 visitors annually.